Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

24. Proportions which the Upper Limb bears to the Stature and to its different Segments, and the mean lengths of the latter.

(a) The proportion which the whole upper limb bears to the stature in the males is 43.2 per cent.

(b) The proportion which the length of the cubit bears to the stature is 267 per cent. in the males and 25.9 per cent. in the females.

(c) The lengths of the three segments of the upper limb as obtained by subtraction from the corrected means of the last three measurements (21, 22, and 23) are as follows:

[blocks in formation]

(d) The proportion which the length of the upper arm bears to the stature is 16.5 per cent. in the males.

(e) The proportion which the length of the forearm bears to the stature is 15.4 in the males and 15·1 in the females.

(f) The proportion which the length of the hand bears to the stature is 11.2 in the males and 10.8 per cent. in the females. (g) The proportion which the length of the forearm bears to that of the upper arm (the latter being taken as 100) is 94.5 per cent. in the males.

(h) The proportion which the length of the hand bears to that of the forearm (the latter being taken as 100) is 72.6 per cent. in the males and 71·1 in the females.

25. Span of Arms.-This is measured across the back, while the arms are extended at right angles to the long axis of the body.

[blocks in formation]

26. Maximum Bihumeral or Shoulder Breadth. This gives the greatest breadth of the shoulders, and is measured between the most prominent external surfaces of the deltoid muscles.

[blocks in formation]

27. Maximum Bitrochanteric or Hip Breadth.-This is the greatest width from the external surface of the trochanter of the one femur to that of the other measured while the subject stands erect with the fee close together and parallel.

[blocks in formation]

28. Proportions of Shoulder and Trochanteric Breadths to the Stature and to one another. (a) The proportion which the maximum breadth of shoulder bears to the stature calculated from the corrected means of these measurements is 23.8 per cent., while that of the trochanteric breadth to the stature is 17.3 in the males. Topinard gives these indices in Parisians as 22.9 and 18.5 respectively. (b) The proportion which the trochanteric or maximum hip breadth bears to the maximum shoulder breadth (the latter being taken as 100) is 72.9 per cent. Topinard gives this index in one series of 100 Parisians, measured by A. Bertillon, as 83, and in a second series of 40 individuals as 80-8 per cent.

29. Weight. The figures of weight are given in English pounds and tenths of a pound.

[blocks in formation]

30. Strength of Grasp.-The results here given are the mean of the right and left hands, and not the strongest grasp with either hand as frequently recorded, and is expressed in pounds and decimals thereof.

[blocks in formation]

In the males the right hand is the stronger in 64 cases; that is, in 67.4 per cent. The left hand is the stronger in 22 cases; that is, in 23.1 per cent. Both hands are of equal strength in 9 cases; that is, in 9.5 per cent.

In the females the right hand is the stronger in 37 cases (67.3 per cent.); the left hand is the stronger in 14 cases (254 per cent.); the strength of both hands is equal in 4 cases (7.3 per cent.).

31. Vital Capacity of the Lungs.-This was ascertained by means of Stanley's spirometer, and is given in cubic inches, to which the instrument is graduated.

[blocks in formation]

32. Vision. The strength of vision was tested by means of Snellen's test-types at a distance of six metres from the eye, each eye being tested separately. While one eye was being tested the other was kept open and a black card was held over it, so that the type could only be seen by the eye being tested.

Of the 96 males tested only 32, or 33.3 per cent, had normal vision;

that is to say, were able to read with both eyes No. 6 type. Of the 96 males, 39 were 46 years of age and upwards. The vision of the females was better, as 30 out of 55 tested, or 52.7 per cent., had normal vision; but, on the other hand, only 8 of the number tested were 46 years of age and upwards. In a large number of cases in both sexes, the vision in one eye was more defective than in the other.

33. No cases of colour blindness were discovered in either males or females.

The following table gives the canon of proportion of the several parts of the body in relation to the stature, the latter being taken as 100. In this collected form it will be found more convenient for comparison with those of artists.

Canon of Proportion of the Body.

Trunk, including head and neck, to the level of the Tuber
Ischia

Lower limbs from the level of the Tuber Ischia

Males Females

52.3 53

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

On the North-Western Tribes of Canada.-Ninth Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. E. B. TYLOR, Mr. G. H. BLOXAM, Dr. G. M. DAWSON, Mr. R. G. HALIBURTON, and Mr. H. HALE. THE Committee were appointed, as in former years, to investigate the physical characters, languages, and industrial and social condition of the North-Western Tribes of the Dominion of Canada.

In consideration of the difficulties and delays in completing their work of Canadian exploration and editing its results the Committee have been reappointed for this year, without a grant of money. They are thus enabled to send in the following report, by Dr. Franz Boas, on the 'Tribes of the Lower Fraser River,' in continuation of his previous communications. This, however, does not exhaust the anthropological information in course of being obtained and put in order by the Committee, who hope to bring their investigations to a close during the present year, and to report finally to the Meeting of the Association in 1895.

The Indian Tribes of the Lower Fraser River. By Dr. FRANZ BOAS.

In the sixth report of the Committee I described the customs of the Lku'ñgen, the most southern group of the Coast Salish living on British territory. The northern neighbours of the Lku'ñgen, who will be described in the following pages, speak the K'auětcin (Cowichan) language. This dialect of the Coast Salish is spoken on Vancouver Island from Saanitch Inlet to Nonoos, on the islands north of Saanitch Peninsula and on the Lower Fraser River as far as Yale. The language as spoken on Vancouver Island and on the mainland shows slight dialectic differences, the most striking ones being the general substitution of l for n, and of ä for ā, on Fraser River. I have given elsewhere some notes on the tribes of Cowichan River and of Nanaimo which belong to this group. Therefore I confine myself in the following pages to remarks on the tribes of the mainland, whom I studied in the summer of 1890.

The Cowichan of the mainland are divided into fourteen tribes, each forming a village community. The inhabitants of each village are believed to be the descendants of one mythical personage. I give here a list of tribes, their villages, and the names of the mythical ancestors :

Tribe.

1. qmE'çkoyim.

2. Koa'ant El.

3. K'è'êtsē.

4. Mă'çqui.

5. LEk''ä'mEl.

(NEk'a'mEn).

6. Tc'ilEquè'uk.

7. StsEĕ'lis.

Villages.

Ma'lē, on North Arm of Fraser River.

Ancestor.

Pä'pk Eltel (flag).

(badger).

Stcuwa'cel, near South Arm of Fraser River. Kale'tsEmEs
Tee'tstles, at New Westminster.

SElts'a's, at head of Pitt Lake, summer Tsata's EltEn.

village.

Cuwa'lEÇEt, at lower end of Pitt Lake, win

ter village.

Ma'mak ume, above Langley, on left bank. Sk Elē'yitl (beaver).
Kōkoae'uk, on Sumass Lake.

Ialepk é'lEm

(sturgeon).

Ts'uwä'le, Qe'les (on upper part of Chillu- T'e'qulätca,

La'qaui, summer village.

Skuya'm, winter village.

wak River).

StsEe'lis.

Sk au'elitsk, Skua'tats.

Tea'tcoнil, Tce'iam.

Pa'pk'um.

Ts'a'tsEmiltQ.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Kulte'mEltq.
Qä'latca.

Aiuwä'luq (mountain
goat).

Autlte'n.

Suwila'siä.

Qe'lqElEmas.

The tribes above Skuya'm are collectively called Te'it = those up river. The tribal traditions tell that Qäls, the deity (see p. 463), met the ancestors of all these tribes and transformed them into certain plants or animals which generally abound near the site of the winter village. For instance, Ma'lē is well known for the great number of flags growing in the slough near the village, mountain-goats are found not far from Pa'pk'um, and so forth. In many cases the ancestor is said to have been transformed into a rock of remarkable shape or size, which is found not far from the village. Thus T'e'qulätca, Qä'latca, and Autlte'n are still shown. I do not understand that the tribe itself claims any relationship with these animals or plants, but nevertheless these ideas must be con

1 American Anthropologist, 1889, p. 321; Zur Ethnologie von Britisch-Columbien,' Petermann's Mittheilungen, 1887, No. 5: Verhandlungen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte, 1891, p. 628.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »